


What the Cat Dragged In

by Muscida



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Cat Ears, Cat Hybrid Eren Yeager, Cat/Human Hybrids, Catboy Eren Yeager, Catboys & Catgirls, College Student Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), F/F, M/M, Older Eren Yeager
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:40:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29679927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muscida/pseuds/Muscida
Summary: Levi was used to strays showing up on his doorstep, but he doesn't quite know how to handle this one...
Relationships: Levi Ackerman & Eren Yeager
Kudos: 3





	What the Cat Dragged In

**Author's Note:**

> My first fanfic in 2 years? I’m hoping to update every other week, so stay tuned for more!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A strange sound wakes Levi up in the dead of night. He’s forced to contend with what’s on the other side of that door, and spends his Friday trying to unravel its secrets.

_Scriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch._

_Scrriiiiiiiitch._

_Scriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch._

Levi awoke with a start. Before the interruption, he had been peacefully sleeping in his plush bed, enjoying the comforts of modern life. A fan buzzed dutifully in the corner, and a faint breeze could be heard just outside, making the branches of the trees outside dance and sway. A nightlight plugged into the outlet near the door provided just enough light to see shapes and large details without disturbing one’s rest. It was nice and warm under the covers, where Levi was curled up.

_Scrtch._

_Scritch._

_Scriiiiiiiitch._

“Please tell me you’re not here to eat me, you bastard.” Levi grumbled sleepily, pulling the covers over his face in a futile attempt to block out the noise. 

“If you do anything, just make it quick. I don’t have time to be kept up by your bullshit right now. I’m going back to sleep.” 

Levi gave a heavy, contented sigh as he began to feel the delightful lull of sleep, his head becoming cloudy and his thoughts growing quiet.

“Mrow?”

_Scrchscrchscrch._

Whatever was outside was persistent.

It sounded like a cat. Another stray washed up on his porch, begging helplessly for admission into his apartment. Levi could only imagine those big,, sad eyes staring up at him, boring into his soul as the creature pleaded for shelter and care. This one didn’t sound like any of the local strays he knew, and it sounded like it was getting more frantic the longer Levi tried to ignore it.

Levi opened his eyes and admitted defeat silently to himself, laying in bed for a beat before mustering the courage to cast off his cozy pile of blankets in favor of answering the door. The alarm clock on his nightstand blinked 4:23 AM lazily on its screen in big, red letters. This better be worth it, furball. 

The scratching at Levi’s door quietened as the raven-haired man neared the door, growing silent as Levi padded up to the handle and turned it. Slowly and carefully, Levi opened the door and prepared to meet whoever was on the other side. Before he could get the chance to say hello, a large figure, about the size of a large dog, skittered through the open door and hid under the nearest table. Levi shut the door with a start, and pulled out his phone to toggle the flashlight.

Sweeping the light in the direction of the mysterious creature, Levi searched warily for whatever had run through his door. He could’ve sworn there was a cat on the other side of that door. Levi held his breath, nervous for what he might find. He was jumpy at best about things like this, and it didn’t help that it was a dark, cold morning. If something had half a mind to attack him, this would be the perfect time. 

Levi’s flashlight caught a flash of pale skin, and Levi’s heart started racing in his chest.This was it, this was where he died. Some foul Eldritch creation would face him on the other end of his flashlight, and he would certainly meet his perilous doom. The light drifted over the rest of the figure’s form, and it fell upon a startled and defensive…..wait a minute.

Levi’s eyes widened at what met him when the light caught the creature. He looked… human? Triangular ears poked out above his long, unkempt hair, and a long, brown tabby tail snaked around the creature. Every last hair on that tail stood on end, just like a normal cat under distress. If he was human, Levi would guess that he was around 19 years old. Dark tabby stripes fell under his brilliant emerald eyes, which were blown wide in fear and defiance. Long, catlike fangs were bared towards Levi in response to the sudden light in his eyes, which eerily glinted against the creature’s catlike retinas. 

Levi shifted his weight ever so slightly forward, apprehensively making the first move towards this strange being. The creature recoiled in response, emitting a low, warning growl and pressing itself further under the table and against the wall. Lips twitched over bared fangs, and the boy’s eyes took on a wild look that signalled his fear towards Levi, and told him to back off. 

Levi’s eyes met the boy’s eyes, and the boy’s growl grew higher pitched and crazier. A hiss spat from the being’s throat, and his whole body tensed in anticipation of a fight. Levi was no stranger towards cats, and he could tell that this catlike being was scared shitless, but Levi also sensed a burning hatred within the being. A hatred for anything that looked like Levi, anything that reminded him of his past. Whatever that was. 

Levi was not in the mood to deal with this at 4:30 in the morning. So, he turned his flashlight off, got up, and padded back to his bed. Levi would attempt to feed the being in the morning, after he got a chance to sleep and mull over his thoughts, and give the creature a chance to get acclimated to his surroundings and chill out a little bit. Levi’s warm pile of blankets beckoned him, still holding some residual heat from before Levi was disturbed. Levi crawled into his cocoon and soon fell into a deep, fitful sleep. 

* * * * * * *

“Do you use your hands like my hands? Would you drink out of a bowl or a bottle best? Do you eat human food or cat food? Do you speak English? Why did you show up at my door? What…. are you?” 

This interrogation was getting nowhere. 

The creature sat on his haunches and eyed Levi suspiciously from afar. His gaze showed a spark of curiosity at Levi’s intense questioning as he leaned against the counter, waiting for the kettle to boil. Levi met the boy’s gaze for a beat before huffing and throwing his hands up in defeat, turning to attend to the now boiling kettle. Levi picked up the rumbling kettle with his thin, deft fingers and raised it to pour into his mug of morning tea before reaching over to gingerly uncap the honey. He squeezed a satisfactory amount into his mug, closing the honey and returning the bottle to its original resting place in one smooth motion. He absentmindedly stirred his tea while casting a glance in the creature’s direction, a glance which was met with piercing, unyielding green eyes. 

“I wonder if you have a name…” Levi mused, lifting his mug under his nose to take a whiff of this morning’s tea masterpiece.

…. Maybe he could stand to use less honey next time. 

Levi set the mug down on the counter to cool and set his mind on the boy in the corner of his kitchen, crouching low and slowly making his way to his spot. The boy tensed as he watched Levi, but he decided to forgo the raised hackles and warning growls, which Levi figured was a step in the right direction. Once he was close enough, he very slowly stretched a hand towards the boy, being careful not to startle him. The boy responded positively, curiously leaning forward slightly to catch a whiff of Levi’s outstretched finger.

The scene in Levi’s kitchen resembled da Vinci’s Creation of Adam, with Levi’s outstretched finger making brief, but meaningful contact with the boy’s nose. Levi’s breath caught ever so slightly, and the two beings seemed frozen in time. 

Before Levi could revel in the moment, the boy withdrew as quickly as he came, deciding that he was content to watch Levi from a safe distance after their brief meeting. Levi withdrew as well, returning to his tea and popping a bagel in the toaster. 

“So, I don’t know what you are. I don’t know if you… belong….? To anyone…?”

The boy simply looked at him with big, curious eyes. 

“And frankly, I’m not sure if I trust you quite yet. You’re quite lucky you found me on a long weekend, because I don’t even know where to start with you this morning.” 

Levi caught the time off the oven. 

_1:34 PM_. 

Well, not quite morning. 

* * * * * * *

Levi had taken to calling the strange new member of his apartment ‘brat’ on account of his aloof and, well, bratty demeanor. 

“You don’t like dry kibble, you turn your nose up at the mere scent of the finest wet food in my possession, and now you’re trying to convince me to give you some of these premium Cosco shrimp.” Levi scoffed as he leaned against his kitchen counter, holding a square platter of shrimp. 

The brat chirruped happily, sitting just three feet away from Levi’s feet. It was Friday afternoon, the same day that he showed up at his doorstep. This was the closest the boy had come to Levi so far, lured by the irresistible aroma of Levi’s shrimp platter. 

“Listen, brat. I paid for these shrimp with my own hard earned money. These shrimp are a delicacy, you see. And, last I checked, you showed up at my apartment before sunrise this morning unannounced, trespassed upon this holy ground that is my apartment, disturbed my good night’s sleep, and now you have the _audacity_ to demand I give up my hard earned shrimp??”

The brat simply stared up at Levi with those intense green eyes, and scooted himself just slightly closer to Levi’s feet.

Levi’s facade quickly began to crumble under the weight of that gaze. It was going to come to this one way or another. Levi had no other choice, he reckoned. Levi steeled his nerves and plucked a shrimp off his platter, meeting the brat’s intent gaze. 

“You’re after this, right?” Levi teased, waving the shrimp in the air. The brat’s gaze followed the shrimp back and forth, like a person in a trance. Levi set the platter down on the counter and lowered his frame into a squat, where the brat eagerly awaited his shrimp sacrifice. Levi stretched out his arm to offer the shrimp to the boy, but the brat huffed indignantly at him and stayed put. 

“Still afraid of strangers, huh?” Levi murmured, tossing the shrimp in front of the brat’s feet. He graciously accepted the shrimp now that it was properly on the ground and not held in some strange person’s hand, tearing at the shrimp’s soft flesh and indulging in its delicious flavor. Levi rose slowly once again, turning his attention back to his half-eaten platter of shrimp. The brat at this feet and him finished off their meals in companionable silence, the soft sound of their chewing the only sound heard in the room. 

Once finished, they both licked their chops and returned to their respective corners of the apartment. The newcomer opted to rest under the kitchen table, while the owner of the apartment retreated to his desk to work on homework.

Levi's quarters were a 300 square feet of simple studio apartment, cramped and cozy, perfect for a broke college student. It was split in half, with the kitchenette and living area on one side, his desk and bed on the other side, and the doors to the outdoors and the bathroom splitting the apartment down the middle. The walls were barren, save for a tapestry and string lights above his bed and a few posters scattered about the place. The brat and Levi were in fairly close proximity due to the cramped nature of the apartment, which was probably ideal for getting to know a strange creature that just happened to stumble into your home. 

Levi leafed through the lab packet for his advanced anatomy course, flipping to the section on comparative anatomy, and began answering this week’s questions for class. Maybe thirty minutes into his study session, a large crash rang from the kitchen, followed by panicked footsteps and a surprised hiss. Levi slowly lifted his eyes to the scene of the crime, preparing himself for whatever shenanigans the brat had gotten himself into now. Even though he seemed to have a mostly human body, the brat behaved like a cat, meaning that he was especially prone to toppling things over and causing chaos in a small, cramped area. It was unfortunate he was so much bigger than a normal cat. He could cause a lot more damage than your average cat if he put his mind to it. 

Levi caught sight of the crime that the boy committed, a major incident involving the silverware drawer. There was all of Levi’s perfectly clean silverware, his forks, spoons, knives, and all other manner of dinnerware spread about on the floor of his kitchen. Levi sighed heavily in defeat, dreading the task to come. He would have to pick up each piece of silverware and wash them all again, leaving him without clean silverware for an afternoon.

Unfair. 

Levi looked to the only one who was in the apartment at the time of the crime. His medium brown hair fell evenly on both sides of his face as he looked upon his work with wide eyes. His ears were perked straight up, and his tail twitched excitedly from side to side as he judged his work. The silverware was beautifully scattered across the floor, glinting playfully in the artificial light. The brat’s tail twitched once, then twice, then…

“Hey, stop that! You little shit!” Levi cried, ripping himself away from his homework to deal with the problem at hand. The newcomer gleefully began pouncing on the scattered silverware, sending forks, knives, and spoons skittering loudly across the floor of his apartment.

If this thing keeps this up, I’ll be kicked out by the end of the month! Levi thought, frantically rushing to chase the brat off and repair the results of his actions. The boy ceased his joyous activities when Levi loomed over him, and he skittered off to another corner of the apartment in response. His pupils were blown wide with excitement, and his tail stood on end. As Levi cleaned up the mess, he periodically heard little chirps and movements on the other side of the room as the brat entertained himself. At one point Levi glanced up to see just what he was doing, and it appeared that he was chasing his tail. Levi shook his head and resumed picking up silverware, depositing it in the sink to be dealt with later. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this fic! Tumblr @muscida57

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Tumblr @muscida57


End file.
